New museum to showcase mental health therapy tools in Turkey's west

MANİSA – Anadolu Agency

Manisa Mental Hospital head Ahmet Ayer has said they were preparing to establish a museum to display the objects which have been used by the 90-year-old hospital in the treatment of mental health diseases. 

He said the hospital in the Aegean province of Manisa was among the important mental health treatment centers in the world and has been using many therapy methods in the field of psychiatry. 

Stating there had been significant changes in the treatment of mental health diseases over the past 90 years, the doctor said, “We are short of written documents on medicated and unmedicated treatment methods. As different sections of the hospital have been renewed, we had a chance to consider these processes. We started documenting the tools used in the old times. We felt like we were in a time tunnel.” 

Ayer said the idea to establish a museum had come while collecting the old tools during this renovation process. 

He said the tools would be finely maintained for display and the museum would be open to all people who were interested in the treatment of mental diseases. 

“Lots of objects used in that period such as telephones, typewriters, metronomes and lighting, heating, eating and laboratory tools are ready for display. It will be a museum showing our 90-year history. Our goal is to open the museum this year,” Ayer said. 

He said the 640-bed hospital served 12 cities and 90 percent of its capacity was full. 

He also noted the application of agricultural therapy, which was still in the trial process, in the treatment of mental diseases had begun in the 40,000-square-meter Ahmetli unit of the hospital. 

“[A total of] 256 patients who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia will be taken under treatment with 40-minute agricultural practices, as well as medicine and group therapies, for three months,” Ayer said.